Lobdell to fans: you just interpreted it wrong!

I honestly had a particularly negative reaction to this interview. So did some others, including Ragnell, who I don't always agree with, but I thought had a great post and criticism of it.

The good thing is that the story has gotten people to talk about issues they are passionate about — and that can only ever lead to a better understanding on everyone's part.

It.... kind of sounds like he's saying it's a good thing he wrote this problematic portrayal because it's helped to foster discussion!

More and a bit that really made me grate my teeth:

Nrama: The character is obviously very comfortable with nudity and sex, which isn't exactly new to her character, but was really played up in the art here. Was that the intended message behind the way she was visually portrayed?

Lobdell: I'm not really sure one draws a Koriand'r in a bathing suit on a tropical island without making her sexy.

Also, I don't think a beautiful and confident woman needs to apologize to anyone for the way she dresses, on a beach or off.

Nrama: How do you see Kori in the first issue? Was she meant to come across as a little weak as she leaned on Jason for decisions and offered sex to Roy, or was there another meaning behind her actions? What can you tell us about how she acted in the story — and why?

Lobdell: I think in a courthouse this would be called "leading the witness. " In the first issue Kori shows up only when she is needed to rescue the guys. Once that is accomplished — between panels as a way to show how her sudden appearance completely changes the power dynamics present so far in the story — she politely asks her friend if there is anything else she can do to help. Polite is the new weak? Would it have been a better portrayal of the character if she had said "I will fly ahead and kill everyone in your path, Jason?"

Yep, so if you had concerns about that part, you just interpreted it wrong! Personally, I did not find any friend-type behaviour in that scene, particularly not on Jason's side of things. This was also the part I had the most problems with; where Jason made a joke about Kory's boobs and then talks about using her dislike/distrust of soldiers to his advantage and then it just... got worse from there.

And one more bit for good measure!

Nrama: What was the thought behind the story description of Tamaraneans as not seeing humans as much more than sites and smells? Does that mean she doesn't remember things that may or may not have happened in the past? Or was there another meaning behind that statement?

Lobdell: I love the fact that Kori is an alien. She and the rest of her race have been described of being descended from felines and we all know that humans and cats have different ways of perceiving our environment — so it stands to reason that Humans and people from Tamaran see things differently.

Now, as Humans we might fall into the prejudicial and xenophobic trap of applying a judgment onto other races that they are somehow lacking or even "stupid" because they see the world from another perspective. But I'd like to think that as comic book fans we can all accept that not everyone in the galaxy sees each other as we do.

If you need to explain, clarify, backpedal, or otherwise say something that should be in the published material then you have fucked up and told an objectively flawed story.

...

But the problem is that Lobdell, or any other author or creator, can say whatever the Hell they want after the fact. That is not what is in the material that people have bought and read and discussed. The story MUST stand on its own.

LIke I said at the beginning, if you feel the need or are forced to explain, clarify, enhance, “fill out,” or otherwise tell the story that you meant to tell then chances are that you fucked up. More to the point, if you feel compelled to do that then you’ve poked people in the eye who bought your product as-is expecting that the story that was published was the final word. It was published. It went through you, your editor, your other collaborators, and everyone else before it reached the consumer.

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